Manufacture of confectionery.



H. WALKER & R. B. HAY.

MANUFACTURE OF CONFECTIONERY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24, 1914.

1,142, 1 29. Patented June 8, 1915.

nnrrnn sawrns Parana enema.

HORACE WALKER AND ROBERTBRUCE HAY, 0F BRISTOL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO H. 3'. HACKER & COMPANY, LIMITED, 0F BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF CONFEC'I'IONERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. $58,290.

of confectionery and more particularly to.

the delivery of confections or sweetmeats, which have been coated with chocolate or other substance, from the machines in which such coating has been effected.

It is customary to deliver the goods from the coating machines into trays or on to plaques or sheets of paper or other material, the goods being spaced or located on said trays or plaques in relatively widely separated formation, which may be the same relative spacing as that in which they are coated,-whereupon the goods are inspected and dealt with to remove damaged or defective goods and the trays or plaques with their contents passed to the packing department. This widely separated spacing of the goods on the trays or plaques necessitates the handling and conveyance of a large number of trays or plaques for a given quantity of goods, the consumption of considerable time for the detection of damaged or defective goods on the trays or plaques, and the frequent supply and changing thereof to the packing operatives, and it is the object of the present invention to greatly reduce the number of such trays required, thus considerably reducing the time taken in the delivery and packing of the goods and also eliminating the greater part of the handling and convenience of the trays previously required. 7

To these ends the invention broadly consists in delivering the goods directly from the machine into the trays by gravity in such a manner that they completely fill the area or surface of each tray and thus greatly reduce the number thereof required'for a given quantity of goods from that previously necessary under the method stated above. Means may also be furnished whereby the trays are automatically and successively brought into position to receive the goods by gravity immediately a filled tray is removed. a

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the means employed for the purposes above stated. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view of parts shown at the right hand end of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of other parts shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a cross section on an enlarged scale on the line AA of Fig. 2.

In said drawings, 1 designates part of a chocolate coating machine of any desired or conventional form, and 2 the delivery rollers thereof.

3 designates the delivery table, 3 the side frames thereof, and 3 stanchions supporting same, the table as shown being greatly extended in length and over this table runs an endless conveyer 4:, to receive the coated goods from the delivery rollers 2, this conveyer being preferably formed of thin metal such as sheet aluminum or any pliable material, produced in endless or seamless form, or it may be made up of plates linked together, or joined at the ends as by fine lacing, with the joint inclined to the longitudinal dimensions of the conveyer. This latter may be embossed with any desired name, device or data which it is desired should be impressed on the bases of the goods. The use of aluminum for this purpose is of especial value in that the goods do not stick thereto, a better polish is produced on the bases of the goods, and the embossing or impressing is of a much sharper character. The use of the aluminum conveyer has the further advantages that any damage to the goods between or lying on adjacent plaques is avoided, and the expense inherent to the use of embossed paper plaques which rapidly wear out is eliminated.

If the conveyer is used in a machine in which the goods are delivered in line, the travel of the conveyer may be so timed that a single name, device or data may be impressed at or about the center of the base of each article.

The conveyer 4 is shown as movable over the table throughout its length, passing at the right hand or delivery end over a comparatively sharp edge and guide roller 5 between two friction drive rollers 6 and 7 and thence over guide rollers 7*, then between a pair of friction rollers 8 and 9 carried by a and the hanger 10 is shownas inclosed by a casing 14, but this casing may be dispensed with or extended to other parts of the conveyer as may be found desirable. The aforesaid drive rollers may be driven 1n op- I posite directions as by worm gearings and 16 mounted in casings 17 and driven from a shaft 18 extending alongside the table and receiving power from any convenient moving part of the coating machine 1, a clutch 19 being provided for throwing the rollers and consequently the movement of the conveyer into and out of action as required. The roller 7 is shown as mounted in spring pressed bearings 20 to exert resilient pressure on the conveyer and the other roller in adjustable bearings 21 for regulating this pressure.

At its delivery end the conveyer 1 is given a downwardly curved path as at 22, and at a suitable tangent to said curve is positioned an inclined stripping member or plate 23, which removes the goods from the conveyer and down which they slide on to the tray 2a which is disposedbelow the stripping memher. The plate 23 is shown as pivotally mounted by means of a pintle 25 in lugs or bearings 26 extending from the side frames of the table. The surface of said tray which may be of'tin or other suitable smooth material is preferably kept in a polished condition and is inclined at an appropriate angle, which may be adjustable according to the weight or character of the goods being dealt with, so that the goods slide gently down said tray and completely or substantially fill its entire surface, each of the goods or rows thereof coming into contact with that or those previously delivered without mounting one on the other. Thus a quantity of, goods equal to that contained on several plaques under the old method, may-be accommodated on a single tray. For this purpose the side frames of the machine are extended at the delivery end to provide an inclined support as at 27 to which there is pivoted at28 an auxiliary board or table 29 for supporting the tray and having an abutment 30 at its lower end against which the tray bears. Adjustment of the table 29 as to height about its pivot may be produced by any convenient means such as the toothed quadrant 31 and pivotedpawl 32.

Either the length of the 'conveyer is such that the goods are not delivered to the tray until they aresufiiciently or completely set, this form being shown in the drawings, or

the goods may be artificially cooled whileon said conveyer for this purpose, and this may be effected by causing the latter to pass livery point, any of these means being well known in the art.

A tank 84: for containinglcold water is shown in Fig. 5 and this tank or any other cooling means may also be provided with the extended delivery table if desired.

By curving the delivery end of the con-' veyer at 22 as referred to above, and arranging the stripping member 23 at an ap-.

propriate tangent thereto, any tendency for the goods to topple or become inverted is prevented and the same are caused to always slide onto and along the trays on their bases. 'The tray is placed on the table 29 as above mentioned and in order to feed another tray to said frame when a filled tray is removed,

such second tray 24?, or more than one,'may

be located below the conveyer, as shown, on rollers, runners or equivalents 35, disposed at a slightincline, said trayjbeing held in normal position by abutting against the end of the tray 24 being filled, so that on re-- moval of said latter tray the second tray is delivered by gravity onto the table. The runners 35 are shown as mounted on spindles 36 carried by bars 37 supported by the stanchions 3 and when on said runners the tray 241 is guided by rails or equivalents 38 also secured to said stanchions, the tray be-j ing inserted from the side onto said runners. To insure that no jarring of the goods on the trays takes place it is desirable that when changing the trays the surface of the table is brought to the same inclination as that of the runners on which the tray 24:? to be received is resting, as shown in broken lines in'Figs. 1 and 2, and if necessary the required angle ofinclination to permit sliding of the goods on the tray afterward gently produced by again lowering the table 29 on to the inclined support 27.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A delivery device for confectionery machines, comprising a movable delivery member having a downwardly curved portion at its discharge end, an inclined stripe ping member in tangential contact with said curved portion to receive the goods therefrom, and a normally stationary inclined member adapted to support a receptacle for receiving the goods from said stripping member by gravity, said inclined member being inclined sufficiently to permit the goods to slide down said receptacle by gravity alone.

2. A delivery device for confectionery machines, comprising a movable delivery member having a downwardly curved portion at its discharge end, an inclined stripping member in tangential contact with said curved portion to receive the goods therefrom, a pivoted inclined member to support a receptacle for receiving the goods from said stripping member by gravity, said inclined member being inclined sufficiently to permit the goods to slide down said receptacle by gravity alone, and means for adjusting the angle of inclination of said inclined member about its pivot.

3. A delivery device for confectionery machines, comprising a horizontally movable delivery member having a downwardly directed portion at its discharge end, an inclined stripping member cooperating with said downwardly directed portion to receive the goods therefrom, an inclined support for a receptacle to receive the goods from the stripping member, and a second inclined support for a further receptacle which may move by gravity onto said first mentioned support when the latter is vacant.

A. A delivery device for confectionery machines, comprising a horizontally movable delivery member having a downwardly directed portion at its discharge end, an inclined stripping member cooperating with said downwardly directed portion to receive the goods therefrom, an inclined support for a receptacle to receive the goods from the stripping member, a second inclined support for a further receptacle, and means for adjusting the first support to bring the two supports into alinement whereby receptacles on said second support may initiate a movement by gravity toward said first support.

In witness whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE WALKER. ROBERT BRUCE HAY.

Witnesses:

HENRY TRow, Sr., LEONARD FRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents- Washington, D. G." 

